Introduction

If you’ve ever stood on the shore at dawn, watching waves roll in one after another, you know something about the heart of God. His goodness doesn’t trickle; it tumbles. His grace doesn’t drip; it drenches. He is the God who fills empty nets, feeds hungry crowds, and whispers to weary hearts, “I have more.” More mercy for the morning. More strength for the struggle. More hope for the heartache. And yes—more than you can ask or imagine.

Some of us arrived today with silent prayers stuffed into pockets we don’t show to others. Bills stack up. Doctors call back. Deadlines loom large. But in the middle of it all, the Lord lifts our chin and invites us to think higher, ask bolder, believe bigger. He invites us to step into the wide field of His favor, to ask for enlarged territory, and to grip the hope we confess with both hands. Not the thin hope of wishful thinking, but the sturdy hope of a promise-keeping God.

E.M. Bounds once wrote, “God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be and the mightier the forces against evil.” (E.M. Bounds, The Weapon of Prayer) If that is true—and it is—then your prayers today are not small. They are sacred signals to heaven, and heaven is not hard of hearing.

So, come with expectation. Expect more—because God is able. Pray boldly—because God is willing. Hold fast—because God is faithful. Let these living words wash over you like those steady waves, steadying your soul and stretching your faith.

Scripture Readings (KJV)

Ephesians 3:20: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

1 Corinthians 2:9: But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Malachi 3:10: Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

1 Chronicles 4:10: And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Opening Prayer

Father, we come to You with open hands and expectant hearts. You are able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think. Enlarge our faith today. Enlarge our love. Enlarge our territory for Your glory. Place Your hand upon us for favor and for protection. Open the windows of heaven over every household represented here, and teach us to trust You fully. Help us hold fast to our confession without wavering, for You are faithful who promised. Let Your Word build us, Your Spirit fill us, and Your presence steady us. We ask all of this in the strong name of Jesus. Amen.

Expect more than you can ask or imagine

Expectation grows from who God is. Hope rises when we remember His heart. Faith lifts when we recall His record. Prayer becomes bold when His character fills our view.

Paul points us there. He says God can do far more than our requests. Far more than our ideas. And He does it by a power already active inside His people.

This reshapes prayer. We stop measuring by our limits. We start asking in light of His life. We bring real needs with real trust. We wait with open hands.

God is able. That simple line carries weight. He speaks and worlds form. He breathes and dust lives. He commands and seas make a path. He holds all things together without strain. He does not run out of wisdom, or strength, or time. His hand never shakes. His plan never stalls.

This means there is no prayer too heavy for Him to lift. No past too tangled for Him to unwind. No wound too deep for Him to mend. Think of Sarah who laughed and then held a baby. Think of Moses pinned between chariots and water and then walking on dry ground. Think of a prophet in a valley where bones lay scattered and then heard rattling give way to breath. He is able. Ability lives in His name.

We do not convince Him to become strong. He already is. We do not push Him to care. He already loves. His might is steady. His will is wise. When we pray, we lean on that. We stretch our requests because He can bear them.

Far more than we ask. Our asking matters. Our words form bowls that God fills. Still, our asking has borders. We ask from within our small view. We ask from within our moments. We ask with the limits of our language. God is not boxed in by that. He sees the whole picture. He answers in ways that cover more ground than our lines reach.

So ask for healing, and He also brings peace to your nights. Ask for provision, and He also teaches skill for the next season. Ask for a door to open, and He also builds courage to walk through it. Ask for one person to change, and He also softens a whole circle of hearts. We bring a request. He brings answers with layers. He is generous like that.

This stirs us to pray bigger and longer. Put names before Him. Name mountains by name. Add petitions you have never said aloud. Stretch the list. Stretch your faith as you speak. Say what you want with childlike trust. And then trust Him to add all the parts you cannot yet see.

Far more than we think. Our minds are gifts. Plans are good. Strategy has value. Yet God’s wisdom rises higher. He weaves ends we do not tie. He times steps we do not plan. He links stories we do not know need to meet.

We picture a single path. He draws a network. We picture a moment. He writes chapters. We picture a fix. He builds foundations. Often His answer includes training, timing, and people we never expected. A phone call meets a prayer. A closed door spares harm. A delay becomes preparation. A small start grows into a harvest. He is not wasteful. He gathers the fragments and makes a feast out of them.

This frees our minds. Dream with Him. Imagine outcomes that honor Him in every direction. Picture grace touching families, teams, and cities. Picture wisdom shaping budgets, calendars, and habits. Picture holiness and joy living in the same house. Then hand those thoughts to Him and say, Do even more.

According to the power at work within us. This line brings the promise close. The same Spirit who raised Jesus lives in His people. Divine strength is not far away. It is present. It is active. It moves in quiet ways and in clear ways. It softens pride. It stirs love. It makes tired hands strong again.

So we pray and we also yield. We forgive when wronged. We bless when overlooked. We give when it pinches. We obey when it costs. These simple steps make space for His power to flow. They are not payment. They are posture. As we walk in step with the Spirit, our prayers and our lives agree. The current runs stronger.

This also means the church matters. Power works in us together. We carry one another. We agree in faith. We share burdens. We share praise. We lay hands. We weep and rejoice as one body. God’s power often travels on that fellowship. It moves through unity, humility, and love.

So ask the Spirit to fill you anew. Ask Him to shape your thoughts. Ask Him to teach your tongue. Ask Him to guide your steps. Then pray with that inner strength awake. Speak with confidence that does not come from volume, but from presence. The answer is not distant. The answer begins within, and it reaches far beyond what your words can hold.

Pray for enlarged territory and God's favor

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